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THURSDAY, June 12, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- A new study
finds that germs in the guts of young children with type 1
diabetes are different from those of other kids.

Bacteria in the guts of kids with type 1 diabetes appear
less balanced than bacteria in children without diabetes, Dutch
researchers reported in the June 12 issue of
Diabetologia. Moreover, the nondiabetic children had
higher levels of a usually beneficial kind of germ.

Germs in the gut may be important because research has
linked changes in their composition to the development of type
1 diabetes, which is increasing worldwide. There has been a
sharp rise in diagnoses seen in children under age 5 in
particular, the researchers, from University Medical Center
Groningen, said in a journal news release.

The findings suggest dietary changes might ultimately reduce
the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in children with genetic
risk for the disease, according to the researchers.

While more work needs to be done in determining what foods
are best for ideal gut conditions, "we think a diet high in
fruits and vegetables is best as these are rich in fiber and
complex carbohydrates," the study authors wrote, adding simple
sugars and excessive protein and animal fat may be harmful.

People with type 1 diabetes have elevated blood sugar levels
because their body doesn't produce insulin, a hormone needed to
convert food into energy.

The study set out to examine the makeup of gut bacteria in
European children, ages 1 to 5 years old, who were recently
diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The researchers looked at DNA
in fecal samples collected from 28 diabetic children and 27
similar kids without the chronic disease.

Diabetic children younger than 3 years old had higher levels
of certain bacteria, but lower levels of other types thought to
be beneficial, the study found.

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